NFL week three preview: Superbowl rematch set to dominate the headlines but the New Orleans Saints desperately need a win

With each week in the NFL throwing in more and more surprises, Zander Swinburne previews which teams to look out for this weekend as well as who needs a win and which player is in need of good performance.

The game to watch

The last time these two teams met, the game was over before Joe Namath was even able to botch the coin toss. This week’s Super Bowl rematch between Denver and Seattle will give the Broncos their first opportunity to rectify their embarrassing 43-8 loss against the Seahawks.

Prior to their showdown in New York, both these teams were by far the best in their respective conferences and not much has changed going into this Sunday’s match-up. Denver have got off to a perfect start, seeing off the Colts and Chiefs in the first two weeks of the season.

Quarterback Peyton Manning remains in top form having thrown for more than 500 yards and six touchdowns, while his supporting cast has also done enough to maintain the same high octane offence they had last season.

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Indianapolis Colts 33
Houston Texans 28

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San Diego Chargers 31
New York Jets 0

Philip Rivers inspired the San Diego Chargers to a 31-0 shutout of the New York Jets

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Cleveland Browns 29 Tennessee Titans 28

Travis Benjamin caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brian Hoyer to complete the Cleveland Browns' comeback against the Tennessee Titans

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Dallas Cowboys 20
Houston Texans 17

Dan Bailey kicks the game-winning for the Dallas Cowboys in their overtime win against the Houston Texans

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New York Giants 30
Atlanta Falcons 20

Odell Beckham Jr celebrates scoring the match-winning touchdown on his debut for the New York Giants

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Green Bay Packers 42
Minnesota Vikings 10

Eddie Lacy rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns as the Packers routed their NFC North rivals

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Green Bay Packers 42
Minnesota Vikings 10

Defensive end Julius Peppers intercepted a pass and ran it 56 yards for a touchdown

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Kansas City Chiefs 41 New England Patriots 14

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith begins a play threw for three touchdowns

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Kansas City Chiefs 41 New England Patriots 14

On his return from injury running back Jamaal Charles scored one rushing and two catchind touchdowns

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Dallas Cowboys 38
New Orleans 17

Tony Romo looked close to his best as the Cowboys dominated the Saints in Texas

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San Francisco 49ers 26
Philadelphia Eagles 21

Frank Gore had more than 100 yards rushing and also a 55-yard touchdown catch as the 49ers narrowly beat the Eagles

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Minnesota Vikings 41
Atlanta Falcons 28

Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater rushed for two touchdowns and threw for 300 yards on his first NFL start; though he did hurt his ankle late on

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San Diego Chargers 33
Jacksonville Jaguars 14

Philip Rivers threw just shy of 400 yards and three touchdowns against the Jags

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Pittsburgh Steelers 24
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27

Vincent Jackson scored a last-second touchdown for the Bucs to win their first game of the season

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Oakland Raiders 14
Miami Dolphins 38

Cortland Finnegan celebrates after recovering a fumble in the Dolphins' rout of the Raiders at Wembley

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New York Jets 17
Detroit Lions 24

Matthew Stafford celebrates a rushing touchdown - he threw two more - as the Lions won despite injury to Calvin Johnson

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Indianapolis Colts 41
Tennessee Titans 17

Andrew Luck had another huge day for the Colts with 393 yards and four touchdowns

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Houston Texans 23
Buffalo Bills 17

Defensive end JJ Watt on his way to a touchdown after intercepting EJ Manuel's pass

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Chicago Bears 17
Green Bay Packers 38

Aaron Rodgers threw more than 300 yards and four touchdowns in a massive win at Soldier Field

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Baltimore Ravens 38
Carolina Panthers 10

Steve Smith had a huge day against his former team, with two touchdowns and 139 yards

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Washington Redskins 14
New York Giants 45

Eli Manning celebrates a rushing touchdown - he threw for three more in the massive win

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Chicago Bears 27
New York Jets 19

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery of the Chicago Bears is tackled by free safety Antonio Allen of the New York Jets

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Pittsburgh Steelers 37
Carolina Panthers 19

Leveon Bell ran more than 100 yards for the Steelers who fought back to beat Carolina

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Kansas City Chiefs 34
Miami Dolphins 15

Alex Smith threw three touchdowns as the Chiefs beat the lacklustre Dolphins, who play in London in Week Four

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Baltimore Ravens 23
Cleveland Browns 21

Justin Tucker kicked a field goal in the dying seconds for the Ravens to steal a win over their rivals

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Houston Texans 17
New York Giants 30

Rashad Jennings rushed for a career-high 176 yards in an excellent performance by the Giants

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Minnesota Vikings 9
New Orleans Saints 20

Drew Brees threw just shy of 300 yards in a routine win for the Saints

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Meanwhile Seattle will be hoping to recover from a disappointing loss to San Diego last week. The Seahawks convincingly beat Green Bay in week one and their defence remains a strong asset which could once again provide problems for Denver’s offence.

This is unlikely to be another 43-8 trouncing as both these teams remain contenders for the title once again. The hope for all football fans is that this might finally be the Super Bowl everyone was hoping for, and maybe even a preview of another finale to come.

Marshawn Lynch will want to get the Seattle Seahawks back on the winning trail

Who needs a win?

When going through the standings there are a number of teams who are surprisingly still without a win. Indianapolis and Kansas City are both franchises who made the playoffs last year but sit on 0-2; joining them are the New Orleans Saints who have been on the wrong end of a last minute field goal the past two weeks.

This week is by no means a make or break game for the Saints as they have a roster capable of being a contender and Drew Brees is still a top five quarterback. That being said, the Saints’ position in the NFC South will be a cause for concern should they lose to Minnesota.

Drew Brees is capable of turning around the Saints' fortunes

Already they are two games behind the Carolina Panthers who have proven to be a far more balanced team than expected, whilst also Atlanta beat the Saints in week one. The odds of New Orleans making the Super Bowl are gradually plummeting with each week’s loss; only 12% of teams that started the season 0-2 since 1990 have made an appearance in the season finale.

To make matters worse for the Saints, only three teams have ever made the playoffs after an 0-3 start. New Orleans are perhaps the best team to be winless and they still have a good shot at making the post-season, but a win this weekend is crucial if they want to stay in the playoff race.

Who needs to impress?

It’s taken only two weeks and one embarrassing loss but the calls for Blake Bortles to replace Chad Henne as the Jaguars quarterback are already getting loud. This move looks set to be an inevitability as Bortles represents the future of the franchise, while Henne almost certainly doesn’t.

Last week the Jacksonville Jaguars were handed a harsh reality check, losing to the Washington Redskins 41-10. Henne was inconsistent, inaccurate and often indecisive, failing to give his offence a chance to compete. Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley has already confirmed that Chad Henne will be the team’s starter this week against Indianapolis, yet there seem to be no guarantees past this weekend.

Understandably, the Jaguars current woes this season are not all Henne’s mistakes. He was sacked a franchise record 10 times against the Redskins and sits behind an offensive line that can't be trusted to do a better job with any other quarterback. Despite this, as the poor performances mount, Henne will find himself with fewer supporters, and possibly out of a job before he even makes the trip to Wembley.

Who’s the dark horse?

Can a 2-0 team be an underdog? In this game, most certainly yes. The Buffalo Bills have astounded many, beating both the Chicago Bears and the Miami Dolphins to sit solely atop the AFC East. This week they face the San Diego Chargers who gained many plaudits after beating the reigning Super Bowl champions last weekend.

Although unbeaten, Buffalo will do well to keep pace with a high scoring and efficient Chargers offence spearheaded by Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates. Their ability to hold onto the football, controlling the time of possession with 42 minutes against Seattle proved decisive and if the same is to be done to Buffalo, a similar result may be expected.

San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates reaches out to grasp a one-handed touchdown

The Bills do however have the ability to cause problems and even emerge with a win. They boast a commanding running game, averaging over 150 yards on the ground each game so far this season. E.J Manuels made fewer mistakes against the Dolphins and has been uncharacteristically consistent so far this season.

Buffalo’s fan base appears rejuvenated following the promising start and the team should expect as loud a crowd as they experienced last week. This just might be the difference maker for the Bills if they are to move to 3-0.